Victor Wanyama opens up on his last days at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho
Speaking to Kenyan TV (h/t The Sun), Kenyan international Victor Wanyama has revealed what life was like playing under Jose Mourinho at Tottenham.
The 29-year-old spent about four years at Tottenham before leaving for MLS side Montreal Impact last year. Wanyama forged a solid partnership alongside Mousa Dembele, becoming a key member of the team under Mauricio Pochettino.
He was a part of the Spurs side that reached the 2019 Champions League final but found game time harder to come by after Pochettino was replaced by Mourinho.
“Life was tough under Mourinho. I was not playing.”
Wanyama made just a solitary appearance under Mourinho, a nine-minute cameo against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The midfielder has gone on to reveal that not only did the manager overlook him but also stopped him from seeking his fortunes elsewhere.
“Clubs came in for me and asked to take me on loan with an obligation to buy after some time, but Tottenham said no.”
Ultimately, Wanyama went over Mourinho’s head and talked to club chairman Daniel Levy, who agreed to let the player leave. The midfielder has since enjoyed a good spell of games in the MLS, something that would have been unlikely had he stayed put in North London.
“I went to the chairman’s office and told him to understand my situation. He granted me my wish to leave.”
Given the largely peripheral role Wanyama was relegated to, it is baffling as to why Mourinho would not let the player part ways with the club. Thankfully, Levy decided to do the right thing.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Rio Ferdinand backs Harry Kane to break all-time Tottenham scoring record
- Chris Coleman says Gareth Bale could still make an impact at Tottenham
- Tottenham Hotspur star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sent an impactful message to Sergio Reguilon last summer1
Signed from Southampton in 2016, Wanyama enjoyed an excellent debut season for Tottenham. Unfortunately, the promising start was followed by a spate of injuries that limited his influence on the pitch.
Wanyama’s star was already on the wane before Mourinho took over. The 29-year-old was left disgruntled after being left out of the 2019 Champions League final and feels the club should have trusted him more.
